Cuff fastener



May 12, 1959 P. F. CRONAN ET AL 2,885,757

CUFF FASTENER Filed Aug. 21, 1956 Malawi?- INVENTORY PHILIP F. CRONAN F; RANClS P. CRONAN ATTORNEYS CUFF FASTENER Philip F. @ronan and Francis P. (Jronan, Attleboro, Mass, assignors to Dolan d2 Bullock Co., a corporation of Rhode Island Application August 21, 1956, Serial No. 605,244

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-97) This invention relates to a cuff fastener such as is used in a French type cuff of a mans shirt, and more particularly, to a link arrangement of novel construction.

One of the main objects of this invention is to improve the character of the cuff fastener by providing two complete heads that may be ornamented and connecting these two heads together by a novel link means which will be inexpensive to manufacture and particularly adapted for quantity production.

Another object of the invention is to provide a link structure with a tiltable head that has a three position spring detent.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cuff fastener generally in the position which it would assume in the cuffs on a shirt;

Figure 2 is a View partially in section showing the cuff fastener in position of Figure 1 and detailing the operating parts thereof;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the operating mechanism of the cuff fastener showing one of the heads rotated 90 from the position of Figure 2 and in a position to be inserted or removed from a cuff;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the spring in the operating mechanism; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of Figure 2.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide a link which has one end thereof fastened to one head of a cuff fastener in any suitable manner and which has at the other end thereof a generally T-shaped portion. This T-shaped portion is adapted to be inserted in a cup-shaped retainer which is provided with spring means, the spring means engaging the cross-bar of the T-shaped portion. The T-shaped portion of the link is provided with three adjacent flat surfaces which meet at right angles to each other, the surfaces co-operating with the spring to retain the link in three different positions relative to the head.

With reference to the drawings, designates a link which may be made from flat bar stock as shown or any other suitably shaped material and which is provided at one end thereof with a T-shaped portion generally designated 11. In the form illustrated, the T- shaped portion is secured by notching the flat bar stock at two opposite locations such as 12 and 13, thus forming a reduced neck portion 14. The T-shaped portion 11 is generally rectangular in cross section taken lengthwise of the link so as to provide three fiat sides 15, 16, and 17 which form the crossbar of the T-shaped portion. An inverted cup 18 is provided with a raised section 19 of generally rectangular shape that has a length at least equal to the length of the crossbar of the T-shaped portion. The upper portion of the raised 2,885,757 Patented May 12, 1959 section has a protrusion 20 of a semi-circular cross section aligned longitudinally with the raised section 19 and of a height greater than the thickness of the link 10 for a purpose as will hereinafter appear.

A spring member 22 is provided for insertion within the cup 18. This spring member may be generally circular as shown in Figure 4 and is formed generally arched shaped with a projection 23 at the apex thereof, this projection 23 having a flat surface. A bottom plate 25 may be provided for the cup 18, the bottom plate 25 receiving the edge 26 of the spring 22 so that the edge 26 is between the lowermost portion of the cup 18 and the bottom plate 25. The bottom plate 25 may have an upstanding edge 27 which is rolled over the lowermost edge of the cup 18 to make a complete assembly. The bottom plate 25 may then be soldered or otherwise fastened to a head 30 which thus forms a complete end of the cuff fastener for the T-shaped portion of the link 1% and the other end of the link 10 may be suitably affixed to a second head 31. In the form as shown in the drawing, the head 31 is pivotally connected to the link 10 by arms 32 extending therefrom and a rivet 33 which passes through the arms 32 and the end of the link 18. This type of connection is made so that the head 31 may rotate relative to the link 10 as shown by the dashed lines to swing and align with the converging face of one surface of the cuff.

In operation, the head 30 may be rotated relative to the link in as shown by the arrow 35 in Figure 3. Upon rotation of the head 30, the spring member 22 is depressed inasmuch as the crossbar of the T-shaped portion is retained by the protrusion 28' and the flat surface of the protrusion 23 will therefore slide from the side 16 to the side 17 as shown. Pressure of the protrusion 23 against the side 17 retains the link 10 in the position shown in Figure 3. It will be apparent that in this position, the head 30 and link 10 may be inserted through slots in a French type cuff; and after insertion, the head may be rotated again so that the flat surface of the protrusion 23 is in engagement with the surface 16 of the crossbar of the end 11. It will be further apparent that rotation of the head 30 relative to the link 10 may be secured in either direction so that when the spring engages the surface 16, it may then either engage the surface 15 or the surface 17 to provide a three position spring detent assembly.

We claim:

In a cuff fastener, a link having a T-shaped end portion, a cuplike member open at one end and having a generally fiat wall provided with a central elongated slot therethrough and a bearing recess on opposite sides of said slot, said bearing recesses being of a depth substantially greater than the thickness of the crossbar of said T-shaped portion, said link extending through said slot with the said crossbar rockably received in said bearing recesses, an arched spring Within said member provided with a central projection thereon extending into engagement with said crossbar, and a bottom plate secured to and covering the opening of said member so as to confine said crossbar and said spring within said member, said spring being a circular disk and said projection being cup shaped.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 261,892 Wood Aug. 1, 1882 283,676 Shocker et al. Aug. 21, 1883 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,593 Great Britain 1903 489,770 Germany J an. 22, 1930 

